Within the last decade the DIY movement has grown from projects in basements and garages to a collective movement of people gathering together in cities and across the country to something much larger than it ever was before. Some attribute this to the downturn in the world economy, and while that may be true, I suspect a major portion of it is due to the movement to share everything on the internet.

Back in the day, well before I was born, kids grew up with hobbies that urged them to make things with their hands such as the popular Heath Kit DIY electronics kits. Another popular DIY set for kids was the Erector set that let users build their own mechanical devices out of real metal parts. Often times, kids would help their parents repair the lawnmower, fix the carburetor on the car, or even sew a quilt to help keep them warm in the winter. At some point, day-to-day life got so complicated that families were forced to pay someone to do these things for them. This new "just hire someone to do it for me" attitude combined with the rise of cheap manufacturing in places like China, Mexico, and India, left many of the do-it-yourself skills forgotten by much of the population.

Read the full article over at TweakTown.com